For the second time in as many weeks, a hunter is accidentally shot by another hunter; and this time, it had deadly consequences.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says Roberto Garcia, 61, of Baton Rouge was shot and killed by another hunter while the two were hunting on the Sandy Hollow Wildlife Management Area near Kentwood.
“The subject observed the deer and attempted to shoot at that deer, later on realizing that he did not hit the deer but ended up striking another hunter that was on the property hunting,” says Capt. Will Roberts, Region 7 enforcement captain.
The department says the shooter didn’t see Garcia behind the deer due to vegetation.
Garcia died before any emergency responders arrived.
Capt. Roberts says this is why all hunters need to take all necessary precautions.
“A hunter is required on a WMA to have 400 square inches of a hunter’s orange vest, along with a cap,” says Roberts. “So typically, people are pretty visible.”
Roberts says hunters should do everything they can to ensure that they’re not within close proximity of other hunters.
“If somebody was parked at a trailhead, you would go maybe to another one that doesn’t have a vehicle parked there,” says Roberts. “That way, two hunters don’t end up on top of each other.”
Roberts says it is too early to determine whether any charges will be forthcoming in this incident.
“We have a reconstruction team of agents that are doing a complete reconstruction and covering all of our bases,” Roberts says. “And then after that point in time once the reconstruction is done, we’ll move forward with our determination of what all took place.”
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